Meerkat

The Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) is a member of the mongoose family. It can be found in the Kalahari desert in the South of Africa in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, where it lives in so-called 'mobs' or 'gangs'. Their tails are, unlike other mongoose species, long and thin instead of bushy and has a black / red tip. They use their tail for balance and use it to look larger than they really are when threatened or when mobbing, in additon they arch their backs. They are very social animals, and can live together with 3 families, and as much as 30 individuals. Among packs heavy competition and fights can arise. Packs work with sentinels, which sound the alarm with their distinctive bark. Male meerkats tend to take over or emigrate to another pack when they become adults. Their main diet consists of insects, but they will also eat small invertebrates, eggs, reptiles and birds. They are not endangered or threatened.

Interesting fact: The color of the coat of the Meerkat differs per region, following Gloger's rule, which, in short, is that animals living in more humid areas have darker coloured coats than their relatives from more arid regions.

Image by Fir0002, licensed under GFDL